Claire
by UnicornxNinja
Summary: What could be worse than being seventeen and living in an orphange? Well...being seventeen and living with a homicidal maniac. When Claire Santos is signed up for a program that has her try out a home for twelve weeks, you'll never guess where she goes.
1. Introduction

It's smoky and the air is full of ashes. And I can't breathe.

I hear voices shouting, "Get out of the way!" and "Get as far away from the area as possible!", and I try to listen to them, but I can't move. I try. I honestly try. But I just can't move my legs.

The bright, glowing flames that licked the night sky were producing a choking smoke that was burning my mouth and throat and nearly blinding me. I'm trying to scream, but nothing is coming out of my mouth. I feel it's hopeless. I feel that the flames will soon consume me too.

Then it happens. I feel a hand closing around mine and giving me a tug. I stumble back, trying to shake the unknown hand loose, but it tugs again, and the next thing I know it's dragging me away, pulling me farther and farther from the fire until for what seems like five minutes.

The hand finally lets go, and my vision was back. I quickly swoop around to see whom it was who just saved my life.

But they were gone.

* * *

><p>I awoke gasping for air and rubbing my puffy, tired eyes. Once the fear passed and relaxation set it, I lay back down and sighed.<p>

I'd had that dream often. Much too often, actually. It was a memory, really, of the night my parents died three years ago. I was only fourteen-years-old when it happened, but it seems like it was just yesterday.

I'd been coming home from a friend's house. I knew I was late that night and was ready to face a scolding from my parents. But it never came. For when I finally reached my home, I found it engulfed in flames. The terror that surged through me when I saw it was indescribable. And I stood there for what seemed like an hour until I was numb. Until I couldn't move anymore. The fire was reaching me and I was ready to die but someone, I don't know who, saved my sorry ass. And I was never able to thank them.

I got up out of bed and pulled out my long mess of a ponytail, my strawberry blond hair spilling across my shoulders. I rubbed my tired face and yawned. I did _not_ want to go to school that day. Not one bit.

Nevertheless, I didn't really have a legitimate reason to skip, so I began to undress out of my sweat-drenched pajamas and slip on some dry, day clothes. Feeling lazy that Friday morning, I put on my wrinkled, old sweat pants and oversized hoodie over my black tank top. The bags under my eyes were very unpleasant to look at, so I scrawled some make up on over them.

I grabbed my backpack and darted down the stairs, making a beeline for the front door, seeing as I was going to be late…again.

"Claire, hold up."

My hand was just on the bronze-colored doorknob when Miss Laura's shrill voice rang in my ear.

It's not that I didn't like Miss Laura; it's just that she has the type of voice that can make people cringe. Like nails on a chalkboard, you know? But she _is_ a very, very nice woman. She cares for all the kids here in the orphanage.

That's right, you guessed it. I live in The Vasquezville Orphanage for all the abandoned kids from ages zero to eighteen. In fact, next year will be my last year living here before they have to let me go. You see, I've been here since I was fourteen, and you can imagine the sorrow that's come with it. No one wants to adopt a girl in her mid-teen years. They want to adopt a child, who they can watch grow, and blah, blah, blah. Whatever. I already know that I won't have much of a bright and shiny future on the streets.

I turned. "Yes, Miss Laura?"

"You forgot this." She handed me a notebook that I remembered leaving on the table in the study room the night before.

I thanked her kindly, grabbing the notebook and shutting the door behind me.

* * *

><p>Miraculously, I made it to school just in time before my first period teacher, Mrs. Penske, started taking attendance. I sighed with relief as I sat in my seat and called out "Here", as she read my name.<p>

"Hey, Santos."

That's my last name, by the way.

I turned to see my friend Sarah, as she poked me multiple times with her mechanical pencil.

"What?"

"Can I copy your math homework for next period?" she asked, with a guilty smile.

I sighed. This wasn't unusual. In fact, it happens at least twice a week. Sarah's a very forgetful person. She says it's because of her busy schedule, but I know it's just because she's lazy. I reached inside my backpack and pulled out my math notebook, handing it to her. "No guarantee the answers are correct."

"It's cool," she said, beginning to copy. "As long as they're answers."

"I'm just saying." I sighed. "My strong subject is English, not Math."

"I don't think anyone in the eleventh grade has a strong subject in anything besides you." She talked fast while copying at the same time. "And Douglass."

I laughed. "Douglass' strong subject is all of them."

Sarah chuckled as well. "But I'm sure if you work hard enough you can beat him for valedictorian next year."

"As if I'd want to write a valedictory speech," I snorted. It was a lie, though. I wanted to be valedictorian next year more than anything. But my bigger worry was the whole "getting kicked out onto the streets next year" thing.

"All done!" She handed me back my notebook.

"Thanks," I replied, stuffing the already torn up mess into my tornado of a backpack and turning back around.

"So…" Mrs. Penske began. "I'm going to go out on a whim here and say that about half you didn't read what you were supposed to last night."

Some people nodded their heads shamefully while others sat still and solemn.

"That's too bad that you're going to fail this quiz then." Her smirk grew wide and I could hear Sarah groaning behind me. "Take out a piece of paper and a pen. Label the page one through ten and we'll begin."

I could already feel the hell in my day beginning.

* * *

><p>I walked through the front door of the orphanage and found Miss Penny, a young woman who had been working there for a few years now, vacuuming the small living room that you walk right into when you go through the front. She looked up at me and I smiled. I've grown quite fond of Miss Penny ever since she started working at the orphanage. Actually, she's kind of like my best friend there.<p>

"Claire!" she exclaimed straightening up and turning off the vacuum. She returned the smile back to me. "I have to talk to you."

I threw my backpack onto the green couch nearby and sat down. "What's up?"

Miss Penny quickly ran into the kitchen and came back with a colorful paper in her hand. "I have good news."

"I like good news."

She sat down next to and shoved the paper under my nose. "Check this out."

I grabbed the paper that read _The ECDH Program_. "What is it?"

"The Vasquezville Orphanage has decided to take part in the ECDH Program," she replied with a happy smile. "And we really want you to participate."

"ECDH?" I asked. "What does that stand for?"

"Every Child Deserves a Home," she said happily. "It's where people who are thinking of adopting a child are given one to live with them for twelve weeks."

"And you want me to sign up to live with a family for twelve weeks." I studied the paper.

Miss Penny nodded. "You know how much we all really want you to have a real home."

I thought about it. What if I was forced to live with some bum who didn't really give two shits about me?

But, it was worth a try, I decided, and agreed to try it.

Miss Penny squealed with delight. "Excellent! I'll let them know so they can make the preparations."

"Can't wait," I lied.

* * *

><p>"Johnny," Dr. England said one day while Johnny was attending his weekly sleep studies appointment. "Have you ever thought of living with someone else?"<p>

Johnny paused, putting a finger to his chin. "Not really," he replied. "Why?"

"I was just thinking," Dr. England huffed. She waved the thought away, as it it were an annoying fly. "Never mind. Forget I said anything."

"Wait," Johnny retorted. "I want to hear what you have to say."

"Well," she replied. "I was thinking that, perhaps, if you had someone to live with you, someone to keep you in balance for a while, then your sleep would be a bit more…" she chewed around her words, searching for the right one, "regulated."

Johnny paused, thinking. "Well, I guess it would depend on what you had in mind."

Dr. England reached under her desk and pulled out a flyer, smoothing it out on her desk. "It's called the ECDH. If you sign up, you'll receive an orphan for twelve weeks. I just thought that by having someone live with you for a while, then-"

"I'll do it," Johnny replied happily.

Dr. England was stunned. "A decision so soon? Don't you want to think about it? I mean, it's another human life you're living with for twelve whole weeks."

"Well, like you said, doc, it'll be good for me," Johnny said, standing up. "Plus, it'll be fun. Unless the brat is annoying, in which case," he flashed a most unpleasant smile, "I might have to kill 'em."

Dr. England was still befuddled. "You shouldn't joke about things like that, Johnny!" She straightened her glasses. "But…if you really insist, then I can sign you up."

"Great!" Johnny replied, swinging the door open. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to."

And he was gone.

* * *

><p>I stood in front of the orphanage, my bags packed and the cool March air blowing on my face. A car was coming to pick me up and take me to the new house I was supposed to live in for twelve weeks. And believe me, I was nervous as hell.<p>

A small black car pulled up, and I stepped forward to load my bags inside it. Miss Penny, who was standing behind me, came over to help.

Everything was loaded on and Miss Penny gave me a hug. "Good luck," she said with a smile.

I returned the smile and stepped inside the car, hoping and praying that wherever I was going, it would be a warm, welcoming place.

Oh, how I was wrong.

* * *

><p>The car pulled up in front an old, beaten down house. I winced at the fact that it was slowly falling apart and stepped out to grab my bags.<p>

Hauling them up the front steps, I couldn't help but wonder who would answer the door and greet me. I wondered what kind of person they would be, what kind of job they had. All these questions buzzed around in my head and I could feel a drop of sweat making its way down my forehead. I sucked in a deep breath and rang the door. That was my first unusual experience, ringing the freaking doorbell. I heard a loud scream coming from what seemed like the basement of the house. I thought it was just my imagination, so I watched and waited as the door creaked open.

"Yes?" came a male voice. A face appeared.

I tried my best to look anywhere but at the man. I focused my eyes on the address and read it over in my mind. 777. Wasn't that the number of heaven or something?

"I-I'm Claire," I stuttered. "I-I'm the person that's going to live h-here for t-twelve weeks."

The door swung open entirely. "Well come on in." The voice seemed to become happier, more uplifting.

Shakily, I stepped inside the house and heard the door close behind me. I'm not even joking when I say the place was a _dump_; papers and litter everywhere, torn up old furniture, and shattered glass on the floor. I turned toward the man, and he smiled back at me.

He was tall. Really tall. And way too skinny to be considered healthy. His skin pasty, and his eyes were dull, like he hadn't slept in weeks. I had a bad feeling about this already.

"Sorry about the mess." He walked passed me. "I tried my best to clean up." He turned back towards me and held out a hand. "I'm Johnny C. by the way. But please call me Nny."

I quickly shook his hand back. "Claire," I replied. "Claire Santos."

"Nice to meet ya, Claire." Johnny grinned. "You can leave your stuff there. We'll get it later."

I nodded, and dropped my bags.

Johnny—sorry, Nny—took me on a tour of his so-called "house". He showed me the kitchen, living room, and even his room, where he told me I would sleep, considering he rarely sleeps (no surprise, there). He showed me everything but the basement, which, when I asked, he informed me to never go into.

I agreed, considering the seriousness of his tone, but I couldn't help but ask why.

I thought he'd say something like, "That's none of your business". But instead, he smiled, and said, "It's a huge mess down there, a bigger one than up here, actually. There are also a lot of sharp objects, and I don't want you to get hurt."

'Great', I thought. 'A house with sharp objects and huge messes. This is going to be the worst twelve weeks of my life.'

* * *

><p><strong>Ta-da~! It's over. I had this idea when I realized that most of my characters in my stories are nothing like me, so I decided to make one who's more in touch with myself than just someone I made up. <strong>

**Anyway, please leave reviews. Constructive criticism would also be nice.**

**~Nikki**


	2. Week One

My first morning staying at Johnny's house began as followed.

I woke up to find myself staring, confused at the unfamiliar ceiling above my head. It was white with large cracks every which way. My mind was still a bit groggy, so it took me a few seconds to realize that I wasn't back home at the orphanage. I was staying for twelve long weeks at Johnny C.'s house. I was terrified about it, too.

Don't get me wrong, Nny seemed like a nice guy and all. It's just that he seemed a little too quirky and serious at the same time. I can't really describe it, but he seemed like the kind of guy who would be grinning happy one minute, and prepared to stab me the next.

I shook the thought out of my head, telling myself that something like that would never happen, and that people like that didn't sign up for adoption programs.

Nevertheless, I still had to spend twelve weeks with a complete stranger. I knew it would take a while to get used to it, but I was prepared to try.

I slowly got out of the previously neatly folded bed and proceeded to walk out the creaky, cracked door and down the stairs. To my surprise, I found Johnny sitting on the couch, a pen and paper in his hand and unslept, just like he said.

He looked up. "Oh! Hi, Claire!" he smiled. "I didn't know you'd be getting up so late."

I tried to force out a nervous laugh and scratched the back of my head. "Ha, well I try to catch up on sleep on the weekends since I get so little during the weekdays because of school."

"It's a weekend?" Johnny asked, putting the pen to his lips, thinking.

"Uh, yeah," I replied, uneasy. "It's Sunday."

"Huh…" He put the pen down. "Well, I never really do keep in mind what day it is since I never sleep." He leaned back on the couch. "And since I thought you were going to school today, I didn't really have anything planned to do."

"Oh, that's alright," I replied, trying to smile without looking creeped out at the fact that he never slept. "I'm sure I'll find something to do."

Johnny nodded and stood up. "Well, I'm going to go out for a bit, so feel free to do what you like. Just as long as it doesn't involve going in the basement."

What was up with him and that basement thing? What could be so horrible that's down there that would make him so eager to keep me away from it?

Well, whatever it was, I didn't intend on finding out, so I simply nodded and watched as he proceeded to the front door.

"Oh," he turned back around as he began to open the door. "Help yourself to any food in the fridge, too."

"Okay," I replied, plastering on that fake smile and watching as he left the dwelling.

Once I made sure he was gone, I let out a deep sigh of relief. I was so nervous and tense in this house and I didn't even know why. I shook away the thoughts I had been thinking ever since I woke up and proceeded into the kitchen.

Since I had been so nervous about moving into a new place yesterday, I hadn't eaten much. Now that the tension has eased a bit, I realized I was super hungry. But nothing could have prepared me for when I opened the refrigerator.

The smell was so horrid it was like a dead body was stashed in there for a while. The food looked like it had been rotting in there since the beginning of time, and I couldn't help but wonder when the last time Nny cleaned it out.

Slamming it shut and taking a breath of fresh air, I began to gag a little. I think that will end up being the first real conversation that I have with Nny when he gets back.

I wasn't even sure if I had any appetite left to check what was in the cabinets. But I did so anyway. The food didn't look totally gross—thank god—but after checking the expiration dates on all of the food products, I realized that most of everything was stale.

I sighed and walked over to sit on the couch in the living room. It felt so weird, everything did. Being in a new home, looking through a new fridge, even sitting on a new couch. I felt like I was intruding and wasn't welcome.

After sitting there for about twenty minutes, I realized I was still hungry.

I ran upstairs quickly to get dressed. _I suppose if I can't eat anything here, I'll just go out somewhere._

I didn't get time last night to unpack considering I was completely wiped out from all the hype of temporarily moving into a new home. So when I got upstairs to my new temporary room, I threw open my suitcase and grabbed whatever was on top; which in my case, was a plain yellow crop top and black jeans. The weather had been pretty nice as of late, so I dug out my black flip-flops and slipped them on.

I unzipped the top pouch of the suitcase and pulled out a handbag, which contained my wallet. Ever since my parents died, I inherited all of their savings. I rarely ever spend anything, because it always makes me feel like I'm stealing from them. Most of the money is stored in a bank account the orphanage let me keep, and I only ever withdraw money unless I absolutely need it. The money in my wallet right now had probably been there for about a year now.

I walked back downstairs and searched for some paper and a writing utensil. I found some green Post-It notes and grabbed the pen off the table that Nny was using earlier. I scrawled the words, "Went out for a bit, be back in an hour or so" on the Post-It note and stuck it on the table Johnny was working at.

Out of curiosity, I picked up the papers he was working on early this morning and discovered that they were comics of sorts. They were titled "Happy Noodle Boy" and looked rather odd to me.

_Well, everyone's into different things, I guess_, I told myself as I placed them back on the table neatly and walked out the door.

The warm air welcomed my arms and face as I stepped outside on the beautiful spring Sunday. It didn't feel like it should have been a beautiful day. It felt like it should have been a bitter, cold, cloudy day that wouldn't stop raining until tomorrow. I guess the weather doesn't like to cooperate with my mood.

Trying to shake off the feelings of awkwardness again, I reached inside my bag and pulled out my iPod, cranking up some well-deserved music to clear my mind.

* * *

><p>Johnny cracked the front door open just wide enough to peek through.<p>

"Claire?" he called out. Satisfied with there being no answer, he swung the door open all the way and dragged in the limp body of the young blond woman who had spilled her coffee while bumping into him earlier that day.

Once the woman leaking crimson was inside the dwelling, Johnny shut and locked the door, just in case Claire was outside and decided to walk back in in the middle of him scrubbing blood off the floor.

Carelessly dropping her to the ground, Johnny noticed a Post-It note sitting atop the desk he was working at earlier. He picked it up and read.

_Went out for a bit, be back in an hour or so._

_-Claire_

"An hour or so from when?" Nny worried out loud.

Gasps of pain coming from the blond woman brought him back to earth, and he quickly got to work at extracting the blood from her body he would later paint on the Wall.

Once all was taken care of and the woman's screams went silent, Nny dragged the woman down into the basement and set the bucket containing her blood on a shelf near the Wall. He gave the white, limp body of the woman one look before shaking his head and saying, "If only you would have known that taking half a second out of your worthless life to say 'Sorry' would have actually saved it."

He grabbed a clean bucket, sponge, and a bottle of Clorox and marched back up the stairs to get to work at the mess of red liquid.

* * *

><p>I walked back inside the house to find Johnny on his hands and knees scrubbing dark red liquid off the floor.<p>

"What is _that_?" I gasped.

Nny looked up. "Oh, hi, Claire!" he smiled. "I just got a little cherry Brainfreezy on the floor, don't worry."

"Uh…okay," I replied uneasy. "But what about that rusty smell?"

He hesitated for a second, then stood up. "Oh, just trying out a new air freshener! It's awful, isn't it? I think I'll take it back tomorrow for a refund."

The whole time he still had that cheesy smile plastered on his face. I wondered for a second if maybe he was lying to me. I shook my head and told myself it was silly not to trust someone who had been so kind as to take me into their home.

"Well, I still have some unpacking to do," I returned the smile. "So, I'll be upstairs."

"Okeedokee!"

"Oh, and Nny?"

"Yes?"

I gave him a dead serious look. "Clean out the fridge before it comes to life and eats us."

* * *

><p><strong>END OF CHAPTER TWO.<strong>

**Sorry it took a little while there. Between this, my other fanfictions, and some original stuff, I haven't found the time, or motivation to work on this. Thank god for spring break, right?**

**Please leave reviews!**

**~Nikki**


	3. Important Author's Note

_**Important Author's Note**_

Hi, readers! Thanks so much for all your reviews and contribution to the story! I'm terribly sorry about all the lack of updates, but I'm ready to fix that.

I'm posting to let you know that I am transferring this story over to my new FanFiction account, Sweet Effervescence. My current account, UnicornxNinja (formerly known as InvaderZaTr) is much too cluttered with stories that I fear I may never update, but can't bring myself to delete.

So, "when will the transfer take place?" you may be asking. Currently, I am finishing up my "Fate" trilogy for Johnny the Homicidal Maniac called "The Last Tears Shed". Once that story is completed, I will repost the fan fiction "Claire" to my new account, and focus on that for the time being.

"But, Nikki, you never update The Last Tears Shed!"

I know, and that's totally my fault. With the end of the school year so very close, I've been _extremely_ busy finishing things up and working to make my straight-A goal for all semesters a reality (which proved to be successful, if I might add). Fortunately, the grading portion of the final semester ended yesterday, so, to quote Paramore, I've "got nothing but time on my hands". Therefore, you can expect rapid updates on this fic, if you do happen to read it. We're probably looking at, if I can keep my time managed and etc., an update every week until the fic is completed. The entire rest of the story is completely mapped out and the only thing missing is the actual words.

"So what can we expect on this new account?"

Good question. We're probably looking at some more JTHM stuff, but more so, I've been meaning to experiment with writing anime fan fiction, with fandoms such as Black Butler or Princess Jellyfish. So, if you are also an anime fan, great! More reason to check out my stuff, I guess. I've been working very hard to improve my writing style and I think I've really made it blossom, so, hopefully, you won't think my stuff is crap.

"Will you be writing any more funny fan fictions like 'Invader Idol' or 'Fanmail with the Guardians'?"

No. If I had any kind of funny fic in mind, I would most likely pull it back over to this account. I'm not working on anymore script-format or fanmail/gameshow fics. It's way too much work and it's not doing anything to help better improve my writing skills.

And other than that, I hope you guys enjoy what's to come if you do decide to check out my new stuff along with updates of this. If you have any other questions, don't hesistate to message me!

And once again, the new account name is "Sweet Effervescence".

Thank you!

~UnicornxNinja


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